Leather-indicator



(No Model.)

B. S. ABBOTT.

LEATHER INDICATOR.

No. 305,036. Patented Sept. 16, 1884.

Witnesses,

Eventor,

Edsex 15'. 1560i?- g N. FETERs Phohrhlhngnpher. Washinglan. DJ;

UNiTnn' STATES ATENT- OFFICE.

ESSEX S. ABBOTT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LEATHER-INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 305,036, dated September 16, 1884 Application filed February .33, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.- Y Theinstrumentconsists,mainly, of two jaws, Be it known that I, ESSEX S. ABBOTT, of a b, and an indicating-dial, c, and pointer 66, Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachupivoted thereon at 2, the said dial being. supsetts, have invented an Improvement in ported on an arm, 0, of the main or stationary 5 Leather-Indicators, of which the following dejaw a, which is also provided with a holding scription, in connection with the accompanydevice or finger-piece, f, adapted to fit between ing drawings, is a specification, like letters on two of the fingers of the hand near their juncthe drawings representing like parts. tion with the palm, as shown in Fig. 4, so that My invention relates to an indicator or gage the jaws a b extend along the inside of the IO for testing the thickness of leather, the gage thumb and fingers in position to be closed by being of suitable construction to be conventhe pressure of the said thumb and fingers toiently held in the hand, leaving the fingers, ward one another. The movable jaw Z) is pro- 7 however, free to be used at the same time to vided with a pointer-operating finger, g, the

feel of the leather or examine it by touch as end of which passes through a slot in the dial- I 5 to softness and texture, the said indicator or plate 0, as shown in Fig. 2, and when the jaws gage being applied to the leather from point are pressed together moves through the said to point, as may be desired, to indicate its slot and engages with the short arm d of the exact thickness at such points, so that the oppointer d, thereby moving the said pointer erator may examine a piece of leather in the over the graduations of the dial until the jaws 2o usual way as to its softness and texture, and are arrested by the material between their without any further expenditure of tfme may ends, when the end of the pointer will indicate also accurately measure its thickness from on the dial the thickness of the said material; point to point. The indicator consists, essen- It will be seen that by properly proportioning tially, of a pair of jaws pivoted together, one the length of the finger g and that of the long 25 of which is provided with a holding device to and short arms of the pointer d, the movement pass between the fingers of the operator, so of the end of the latter over the graduations that the jaws lie within the hand and along may be any desired multiple of the movement the inner sides of the thumb and fingers,which of the ends of the jaws a b, so that the divismay be used in the ordinary manner to feel of ions on the scale may be much greater than 30 the leather or examine it from point to point, the actual corresponding distances between i and whenever desired the jaws may be closed the ends of the jaws; or, in other words, the upon theleather toindicate, in connection with indicator may multiply or increase to any dea suitable dial and pointer operated by them, sired amount. The pointer d is normally held the exact thickness of the leather at the point by a spring, 72, against a stop, t, and the jaws 8 5 35 tested, the operation of closing the jaws upon a I) are supported by a spring, k, surrounding the leather being almost the same as that of their pivotal joint, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, closing the thumb andfingerof the hand. One inwhich a portion of the jaws around the I of the jaws, which may be called the stationjoint and inclosing the said spring is broken ary one, has connected with it the dial on away, showing the joint in section. The end 0 0 which the pointer is pivoted, and the other (1' of the pointer, or of the finger f,that comes jaw, which may be called the movable one, in contact therewith, will preferably be prois provided with a pointer-operating projecvided with an adjustable contact-piece, m, tion or ar1n,wh3'ch engages the pointer near its shown as a screw, which may be moved frompivot, and thus as the jaws are closed turns time to time as the contacting parts wear, so as 4.5 the said pointer, the movement of the j aws beto cause the pointer to give correct indications. w ing magnified at the end of the pointer. In operation the instrument is held inside Figure 1 is a side elevation of a leather inthe hand, as shown in Fig. 4, and the hand is dicator or gage embodying this invention; used to feel of the leather or material to be Fig. 2, a plan View thereof; Fig. 3, an end eletested in the usual manner, so as to examine 50 vation, and Fig. 4 a perspective View showing its texture and thicknessby touch, and whenthe instrument in the hand of the operator. ever a more accurate observation is desired r thejaws may be closed upon the material, when the pointer will at once indicate to the eye the exact thickness.

The instrument does not interfere with the usual examination by the touch, but serves as an important auxiliary to such an examination whenever desired to determine the thickness more accurately than can be done by touch or feeling. The ends of the jaws preferably have large bearing-surfaces, so as not to compress or sink into the material being tested.

As herein represented, it is supposed that a Variation of one one-hundredth of an inch 011 the thickness of the substance between the I 5 jaws,wh ether it be leather, paper,or other umterial. will move the pointer over one space of the dial, the graduations of which are onetenth of an inch apart.

I claim 1. As an improved article of manufacture, an indicator composed of a pair of jaws pivoted one to the other, and a pointer actuated by the pivotal movement thereof," one of the said jaws being provided with a holding device or finger-piece, whereby the said indicator may be held in the hand while leaving the fingers free to examine by touch the material being tested, substantially as described.

2. The fixed jaw and finger-piece and dial rigidly connected therewith, combined with the movable jaw and pointer-operating pro-- jection thereon, and the pointer actuated thereby, as described, whereby the space or thickness of the material between the jaws is indicated on an increased scale, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofl have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ESSEX s; ABBOTT.

VVitn esses:

G; Vi GREGORY, XV. H. SIGsToN. 

